"I mean the woman, Elizabeth Vorobieff, it seems as if you even took some pains to pass her off as a man."
"I attempted nothing of the sort," said Sobakevitch, as he went to join the other guests.
The guests proceeded all in a crowd towards the house of the Commissioner of Police. The commander of the police-force of Smolensk, was really and without flattery a wonderful man. Scarcely had he been informed of what his friends expected from him, when he immediately called one of his satellites, a fine and quick young fellow in shiny boots, to whom He seemed to whisper but two words, and then added aloud: "You understand me?" and thereupon, whilst the guests were trying to spend a little while in the next room, in playing a game of whist; the following dishes made their successive appearance upon the table: three different kinds of sturgeon called respectively: osetra, beluga, and sewruga, smoked and pickled salmon, fresh and preserved caviar, some cheese, smoked ox-tongues, and a variety of other fish dainties, made up the supplies from the fish-market.
Then were brought up additional supplies, furnished by the master of the house from his own kitchen; a large pie, containing the head, cartilage and jaws of a sturgeon that must have weighed more than three hundred pounds, besides a variety of other minced tarts, baked in sweet oils and butter.
The Commissioner of Police was in some respects considered as the father and benefactor of the town. He was perfectly at home among the majority of the citizens, and was accustomed to visit their shops and the market-places as if they were his own warehouses. He generally sat—as the phrase goes—in his right place, and did his duty accordingly.
The majority of the tradesmen courted him particularly, because he was not proud; and really, his condescension towards them was very great indeed, when we take into consideration his exalted position; he stood as godfather to all their children, and attended every one of their evening parties, and though he made them pay heavy fines, whenever he found an occasion, yet he did it so exceedingly cleverly, that they could not feel angry with him for doing his duty: he would tap them in a friendly manner, on the shoulder, and add a pleasant smile, treat them with an excellent cup of tea at his own house, promise them to call at their house of shop and play a game of draughts, inquire after everybody and everything; ask them how they were satisfied with trade, and in fact, take a lively interest in all their concerns.
If he should happen to hear that one or the other of the children had caught a cold, or was otherwise indisposed, he would immediately attend upon him personally, and suggest a variety of remedies to cure him, in a word he was a clever man! If he happened to drive about in his droschki, he was sure to make as many calls as he possibly could,.and meanwhile drop a sly word to the one or to the other, and say:
"Now then, master Micheitch, I think it high time for us two to have a hand at a game of cards, what do you say to that?"
"Yes, Ivan Alexeitch," answers Master Micheitch, good-humouredly, whilst taking off his cap, "I think it a favourable opportunity for us to have a game."
"Well, brother Elias Paramonitch, would you like to come and look at my trotter? I am ready to run a race with your horse I saw the other day; we will try them and have a trifling bet on them."